January 15, 2007

 

Poultry smuggling rampant in Ho Chi Minh City

 

 

Poultry from dubious sources are entering Ho Chi Minh City--Vietnam's largest urban area--from neighbouring provinces daily despite authorities'efforts to control smuggling to avert possible bird flu outbreaks.

 

According to Nguoi Lao Dong Daily, unsafe poultry are gathered at many transit points in Long An, Tay Ninh and Binh Duong provinces before being transported to the metro's suburban districts.

 

Smugglers, who are suspected to carry up to a hundred kilos of chicken and chicken meat, are using motorbikes to take shortcuts in avoiding checkpoints. 

 

The illegal traders also tread the Saigon River to transport unchecked poultry into the city of about eight million people, which is only 137 kilometres (85 miles) away from a Mekong Delta village which was hit by bird flu last week.

 

An unnamed trader say the contraband are directly delivered to the homes of poultry owners in Ho Chi Minh and rarely do they carry out business at the markets where trading is usually done.

 

The trader added the goods are usually covered as other items, leading to market inspectors' poor approach on smuggling. 

 

The unlawful trade is blamed on poor poultry sales and processing control in Long An, Tay Ninh and Binh Duong provinces.

 

After Ho Chi Minh City tightened its inspection on chicken trading, most poultry owners and slaughterhouses "took refuge" in the three provinces to continue their illegal business and send their "products" back to the city.

 

Nguoi Lai Dong also led to the discovery of "underground" slaughterhouses in the city, in populated areas of districts 4, 5 and 8.

 

The abattoirs, with facilities accessible to patrons only, offered home delivery of chicken and chicken products.

 

The slaughter and eating of poultry, which is a traditional part of the New Year's feast in Vietnam, have become risky after bird flu re-emerged in late December.

 

Agriculture officials have warned the country's 84 million people that the virus could spread nationwide also through migratory birds.